Stitch remover



G. J. SABATINO 1,860,057

STITCH REMOVER May 24, 1932.

Filed April 10, 1930 Patented May 24,1932

,SAT

GAETANO J. SABATINO, F BALTIMORE, M'ARYl -l 'iltl'llJ STITCH REMQVER Application filed April 1 0,

of the stitching remain inthe stitch holes of the welt sole of the shoe withtheir loops dis posed uppermost and their cut ends protruding beneath the welt. These stitches oncut threadsare ordinarily removed by picking with an awl' or other implement, which is :a very laborious operation andrequires a "considerable expenditureof time. A principal obj ectof the present invention is to providea rotary tool of the character described which maybe conveniently mounted on the arbor of a lathe or bufiing machine, for the purpose of automatically, rapidly. and effectually removing the cut stitches from the welt sole after the'worn sole has been removed therefrom in the manner described, and by the employment of a minimum of efiort and labor. r Y

A further object is to provide a rotary tool, the teeth of whichare designed to contact with'the entire surface of the welt sole to thereby insure'against scraping or scratching the welt as well as insuring the complete removal of all portions of the stitching, regardless of whether'thesame comprises one or more rows of stitchingdis'posed one on top of the other or in side by side relation. It frequently happens that shoes'have been previously repaired wherein the cobbler has failed to remove the old stitching but'has added the new stitching on top or beside the old. It is the purpose of the present invention to re move such plurality of rows of stitching in an efficient manner and Without requiring repeated application of the Welt sole to the tool. This is accomplished by the peculiar con struction of the working projections or teeth of the tool as will be hereinafter described.

A further object of the invention is to pro 1930. Serial No. 443,155.

vide a rotary stitch removing tool so designed as to more completely penetrate the crevice between the upper and the welt to insure the removal of allot the cut stitches or. threads, particularly at the shank part of the sole, that is to say the inwardly curving part if tihe welt between the sole proper and the ee i I r .Thetool is further designed to accommodate and protect the leather of the shoe upper against any scratching ormarring action incident to the use of the implement.

A still further object is to provide an im proved stitch pulling tool; the teeth of which are sharp enough to pull the stitches from the welt; but not sharpened to a degree as to out the stitches or the welt or mar or stratch the latter. j g

- A further characteristic and importantad vantage of the tool is that the same maybe used at the right or left hand of theoperator, that is to say, it may bepositioned on a rotating arbor extending from the right or. left ofrthe, machine, and isv further of .uni-

versal character so as to be operatedregardless of-the direction in, which the shaft or arborrrotates. This advantage obtained by the peculiar construction of the work ;engaging projections or teeth of the tool.

\Vith such objects in'view,'as well as other advantages which may be incident to theuse of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinationsthereof herein after set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the severalnecessary elements constituting the same may-be varied inpmportions and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope ofthe invention. In order to make the invention more clearly understood there areshown in the 'accoml panying drawings means vtor carrying the same into practical efiect, without limiting the improvements, in their useful applicav tions, to the particular constructions which,

' Fig. 1 isa View inside elevation showing my stitch removingtoolsecured in position on the mandrel or arbor of a lathe or gbufling J machine, for operation upon the Welt sole of a shoe to remove the previously cut stitches therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tool. in position at the opposite side of the lathe or buffer.

Fig-3 is anenlarged end View of the tool as viewed from the left side of Fig. 2.

.Fig. at is an enlarged side View of the tool proper.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 looking towards the opposite end of the tool.

Fig. 6 is an axial sectional view on line 66 of Fig. .3.

Referring to the drawings, the stitch removing rotatable'tool is formed of a machined or hand worked casting of the resistant metal, preferably high speed steel and in the embodiment illustrated comprises a hub portion l having a radially extendin flange portion 2 the periphery of which is circular and forms a support for the welt of the shoe which is rested on said flange during the stitch removing operation. The hub portion of the tool is centrally apertured at 3 to permit the tool to be positioned on the arbor or mandrel e of a lathe or other machine, and V the tool removably clamped or secured on the lathe arbor by means of a set screw 5 having threaded engagement with the hub portion of the tool and designed to be screwed inwardly into-clamping engagement with the lathe arbor. However, the tool may be secured on the lathe in any desired manner, the provision of the set screw being illustrated and described as a simple and practical expedient. The flange portion 2 of the tool is radiallytapered and inclined outwardly as indicated at 6 to afford strength combined with utility, and is provided around itsinner periphery with a plurality of integrally formed spaced work engaging teeth or projections generally shown at 7 the outermost periphery of the teeth being flush with the periphery of said flange.

i The teeth 7 are preferably formed integrally with the flange portion of the tool as by. milling or other operation. The teeth extend endwise awayfrom said flange a sufli' cient distance to insure contact with the en- :tire exposedsurface of the welt sole of the shoe to avoid scratching or otherwise man ring the latter when the tool is in use, and

also toinsure engagement with each successive thread to be pulled out. The teeth may be identical in size and shape as shown to insure uniform application and action of each tooth.

The smooth-finished work engaging riphery 9 of the tool to penetrate more completely the angle between the Welt 6" and the shoe upper.

Each tooth is or may be provided with two sharp thread-engaging and pulling edges 10, one located at each side of and at the peripheral portion of the tooth, and these edges extend endwise and toward the axis of the tool, The said edges of the teeth must be' sharp enough to take hold of the stitches and pull them out, but not so sharp as to have any cutting action on the stitches or welt.

The front and back edges ofvthe teeth rela- 'tive to the'direction of rotation of the tool,

are shown at 12 and are preferably inclined inwardly towards each other and towards the inner or bottom portion 13 of the tooth. The latter may have a slight endwise and outward inclination.

Y The structure described permits of both cutting edges 10 of each tooth being sharpened when desired, and the tapered inclination of the side walls 12 imparts a sharp and well defined pulling edge '10 at each side of the tooth. Each tooth is further possessed of its greatest width and depth at the point of juncture with the flange 2 thereby contrib'- uting to'the strength and durability of the tool in service. 7

By providing two stitch pulling edges 10 V on each tooth the tool is adapted and designed to be secured on the lathe at either the right at a time, depending upon to which end of the lathe arbor the tool is secured, and the direction of rotation of the arbor. Fig. 1 shows the tool in position at the left handside of the lathe, while in Fig. 2 it is disposed at the right hand side of the lathe and to the right of the operator. In this manner the tool is possessed of twice the wearing durability without resharpening than'would otherwise be the case were only one cutting edge providedon Said teeth are arranged on the end of the flange 2 which is opposite to the concave 1.5.

In the use and application of the tool,- the same is secured on the lathe arbor 4 as illustrated in Figs. 1 speed of rotation. V The shoe, having the welt stitching 7 a previously cut beneath the welt by the operation'of removing the sole, is held l or 2 and imparted a high in inverted position by the operator so that the relatively narrow periphery 9 of the tool penetrates the angle or crevice between the Welt sole and the upper, and supports the welt, and the bulge of the upper is received in the concavity 15, and also the overhang of the periphery 9, due to said concavity, facilitates the reaching and removal of the stitching from the shank part of the sole. The surface of the Welt having thereon the uncut portions or loops 7 P of the stitching, is in contact with the smooth surfaces 8 of the teeth whereby the pulling edges 10 engage and remove the stitches but pass along the surface of the welt without cutting or scratching same. Also the operation of the tool does not have any effect to stretch the Welt. l Vhile held in this position the shoe is moved or fed by the operator while in said contact with the tool until the entire periphery of the shoe has been operated upon. The action of the engaging and pullingedges 10 of the teeth is such as to completely remove all of the stitches without requiring repeated application of the welt to the tool. Also the tool will pull a plurality of rows of stitches at the same time. Whether said rows are parallel or superposed. these conditions obtaining in shoes which have been previously repaired and the original stitches not entirelv removed at the time of the first repairing. The smooth character of the shoe contacting faces of the teeth and of the tool, adequately prevent marring or damage to either the surface of the welt sole or to the shoe upper. The nature of the construction of the tool and the material of which it is formed, contribute toward continuous and uninterrupted use without the necessity for resharpening the stitch-engaging and pulling edges 10 of the teeth.

The tool is operative in whichever direction the arbor to which it is applied may roed the fact that in one operation many stitches are left in the stitch holes. By reason of its peculiar construction the present improved tool does not have this disadvantage.

What I claim is 1. A stitch removing rotary tool having a hub portion terminating in a radially tapered circumferentially extending flange member to receive the upper of the shoe, said flange member having on the inner face thereof a plurality of integrally formed spaced teeth extending endwise away from said flange member and having their working edgesinclined endwise and toward said hub portion and merging, at their other ends in the periphery of said flange member.

2. A stitch removing tool having a radially tapered flange member provided with a plurality of spaced integrally formed teeth proj ecting from an end face of said flange memher, the peripheral surface of each of said teeth converging towards a point near the axis of the tool inwardly of the cutter and having a sharpened working edge at the peripheral portion of each side thereof. I

3. A rotary stitch removing tool comprising a flange provided on one face thereof with stitch engaging and removing teeth projecting longitudinally beyond the adjacent-face of the flange, said teeth being provided with transversely'converging side portions and longitudinally converging exterior and interior portions.

4. A stitch removing rotary tool having a hub portion terminating in a radially tapered circumferentially extending flange member, said flange member having on the inner face thereof a plurality of integrally formed spaced teeth extending endwise away from said flange member and having their working edges inclined endwise and toward said hub portion and merging at their other ends in the periphery of said flange member.

. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GAETANO J. SABATINO. 

